Dulac Believes Steelers Will Re-sign QB Landry Jones

Will Landry Jones be the Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback once again in 2017? It might be a while before we know the answer to that question but one longtime beat writer said Wednesday he believes Jones will return in 2017 to backup starter Ben Roethlisberger.

During his Wednesday online chat, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was asked if Jones will be a Steeler in 2017 and his answer was short and to the point.

“Yes sir,” wrote Dulac.

So, why does Dulac believe Jones will ultimately be re-signed to backup Roethlisberger in 2017 and beyond?

“As a No. 2 QB, he is fine. I said this last week — the Steelers consider Jones to be better than 80 percent of the other backups in the league,” Dulac wrote. “That’s not my opinion, it’s theirs.”

That seems like a emphatic response and one that Dulac sounds willing to go to the bank with.

After Dulac made his prediction on Wednesday, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk did a little bit of math and concluded that Jones’ current value might be somewhere in the neighborhood of the two-year, $6.5 million contract the Arizona Cardinals gave backup quarterback Drew Stanton last year. as part of that deal that Stanton signed, he reportedly received $4.5 million in guarantees including a $2 million signing bonus. Additionally, he can reportedly earn up to $8.7 million in incentives.

Now, with the above said, it still seems likely that Jones will at least test free agency on March 9 unless the Steelers pay him what he feels he might be worth ahead of that date. To hear Steelers team president Art Rooney II talk a few weeks ago, while he would be open to the team re-signing Jones, he fully expects him to field outside offers.

“I think Landry is going to want to look at sort of his options and see if there’s something out there for him that he may have a chance to really compete to be a starter,” said Rooney in an interview with Bob Pompeani of KDKA-TV a few weeks ago. “I think we like Landry and to the extent that turns out he wants to come back here we’d certainly consider it.”

Rooney also made it clear a few times since the 2016 season ended that there’s a very good chance that the team will address the quarterback position at some point during the 2017 NFL Draft.

“Well, you do have to pick a quarterback every once and a while,” Rooney told Pompeani. “We picked Landry, I guess it was four years ago now, and even at that point and time people said, ‘Why you taking a quarterback?’ I mean, you have to take a quarterback every once and a while. You just have to have that kind of depth on the roster at that position. And no matter when you pick them, you hope they’ll develop into players who will be good players in the league.”

Now, even if the Steelers do wind up drafting a quarterback this year, it’s hard to imagine that player entering the 2017 regular season as the backup to Roethlisberger. Should that ultimately wind up being the case, a more experienced signal-caller will be needed.

The Steelers currently have Zach Mettenberger under contract for the 2017 season but he’s yet to play a down since arriving in Pittsburgh ahead of the 2016 regular season. At the very least, the Steelers have had a full season worth of practices to learn more about Mettenberger and thus should know whether or not he can possibly be the No. 2 in 2017.

Needless to say, we should know the future status of Jones come the start of the 2017 NFL Draft and if Dulac is right and Jones is re-signed prior to that annual event taking place, Mettenberger will likely wind up having to compete against a rookie during training camp for the No. 3 spot on the quarterback depth chart.

I’m good with re-signing, Landry Jones. The team could do a lot worse, like go into the season with Mettenberger as their key back up to Ben.

Jeff Papiernik

Dear God, no. I hope another team overpays for him.

alevin16

Better than 80%? I do not share that opinion. I think LJ is fine as a backup, but if there is a way to upgrade no reason not to try (I have mentioned this before, I call it the Carlos Emmons Theory, Carlos Emmons was good but not great so you can either play it safe with mediocre or take a chance on getting better). Maybe it is just when backup QBs play us that they look like the second coming of Montana, but I think there are many other backups that are better than LJ. The backup in Cincy comes to mind.

CP72

I think there’s going to be a team that will tell him he’s gonna have an opportunity to compete for the starting job…say like the 49’ers.

Don’t know that anyone will throw a bunch of money at him. Probably comes down to how much he likes the stability of where he’s at versus being a potential starter for what’s likely to be a bad football team.

Steeler Fanatic

So we are spending $6m on a backup when we can use that money on a starter. As a starter, what game has Landry won? Draft a qb to be the backup. Today’s qbs are more pro ready… we can pound the ball with Bell, etc. You can probably get McCown for less. There is no team in the league that will pay him that. Frustrating. Colbert has no problem dealing draft picks but he won’t use one on a qb. Plus, Mettenberger would be at lesst serviceable for a game or two.

Nolrog

And then who would you have as your back up?

CP72

Please email Kevin Colbert the quarterbacks in the draft you think are ready to are number one option after Ben.

I love the “just draft someone” philosophy. Sounds so simple.

Steeler Fanatic

Sign McCown, roll the dice with Mettenberger.. or draft a midround qb and give them the backup role. That’s todays NFL.

Jeff Papiernik

Brian Hoyer

Steeler Fanatic

That’s not the point. Peterman from Pitt for one.., kid is smart and A fifth yr qb… you don’t need a guy throwing 40 times. Bell can win a game or two on his own. I was at the cards game last year and Landry made only a few key passes, one pass to Bryant that he went 70 yds on his own. We have a ton of money tied into our quarterback and now we’re gonna put more in when you have a franchise running back they can help you win a game or two if Ben is out.

CP72

Yeah I get what your saying. I just think at the quarterback position better to go with the devil you know.

mokhkw

McCown has earned $4mil+ each season for the past 3, with quality backups being scare and costing more each year I can’t see why he would settle for less tbh.

Steelers12

he will cost as much as Jones

Steelers12

why all the hate, Jones is a top 5 backup

Steeler Fanatic

I know… just wish we could save $$$ for outside fa more often.

mokhkw

With FA not having started and Jones unable to receive offers I can’t see how anyone can say whether he will be back or not. There could be 3-4 teams which view Jones as being able to compete for a starting job or be used as a holdover until a 2017 draft pick is ready to play.

Steeler Fanatic

He won’t get that with injuries and age… $2m per would make sense.

mokhkw

He’s being injured and old for years now and still getting paid well. I agree that less makes sense but like Fitzgerald last season he likely knows he is in a good position to ask for more than what he is worth.

Frankly, I think the “80% better than other back-ups” comment is likely a media fabrication. Has anyone gone on record saying it? And if the Steelers do want to re-sign him, why would they up his market value with their own words? Makes no sense.

Conserv_58

That’s such an unwarranted misconception. Why is that Steelers’ fans think that going after an outside free agent QB is automatically going to reap more rewards than the guy they already have? The value added with re-signing Landry is he came up in their system, he knows it inside and out and he knows the offensive players, intimately. Besides, Landry made strides this season with each outing. I’m not ready to say he is Ben’s replacement, but as a back up… I see no other free agent QB, available as a better option at this time.

Conserv_58

That’s an unfair and unjust opinion. Hoyer has done nothing to prove he’s a better option than Jones is. If he was, then he’d be employed.

Conserv_58

Please. What you are requesting is sheer nonsense. This team is a couple of defensive players from winning a seventh Lombardi. You don’t roll the dice with a project like Mettenberger or hand the backup job to a rookie mid round draft pick, especially in this draft class bereft of legitimate NFL calibur QB’s.

Steelers12

jones is not that bad

Jeff Papiernik

How can you say Hoyer has done nothing? He’s 16-16 as a starter. That’s pretty darn good in my book if we’re talking what you want in a backup QB. What has Jones done? One career win, at home in OT against a Browns team with one win. Congrats.

Jeff Papiernik

Agree to disagree. I think he’s awful

Kenneth Wilt

I have zero issue with this decision. I honestly don’t think this is the year for QB unless Ben is retiring.

Steeler Fanatic

How many games has he won when he did start? He laid an egg in KC… he played uneven against NE and the 4th quarter drive was mind numbing… he took six minutes to go 20 to 20. We have a great running game, elite line and capable receivers. Why do we need to overspend for a qb to play 1-3 games. If Ben is for longer, then the season is likely lost. Why not bring in a rookie that could be developed when Ben retires?

Steeler Fanatic

Mettenberger is a final option.. not the best- so forget him. But, lets spend $3m per for a guy that might not play a down? That might be the difference between getting a Nick Perry and fill-in FA. The Pats relied on a young backup… Texans did. Most teams fon’t even go with three quarterbacks. Your affinity for Landry Jones is a head scratcher. If he was so special, why did the Steelers have Gradkowski as the backup until he was physically unable to? Or why is Mettenberger on this team????

jlingo

And Dak Prescott wasn’t starter material or a first round pick. Its a crap shoot….

Jefferson_St_Joe

It was discussed by myself and some others in the last post about Landry Jones, that he is barely above the bottom 20% of backup QBs, $3M/year would be ridiculous,

Douglas Andrews

Based off the reports on Mettenberger so far that would be a disaster.

Douglas Andrews

Signing him saves you from drafting a QB this year. I say resign him and concentrate this draft on other positions on the defense and getting a backup to LB.

Steelers12

yes i agree

Joecool328

100% agree with you and he’s played on bad teams. What could Hoyer do on a good team like ours . . . I’d take Hoyer over Jones.

What has Jones done – not much. Give Zack a try, he signed and will cost the Steelers nothing more than they are all ready paying.

Steve

What makes everyone like Jones? He sucks if you ask me.

Steve

Jones is terrible.

Steve

Jones will get a 1 year good offer and leave. Dulac is a barking dog, all bark, no bite.

Steve

Jerry Jones said the same last year.

Steve

We have a franchise QB, a franchise RB and a franchise WR – there is only so much money to go around.

Ryan Alderman

I couldn’t imagine signing Landry to Drew Stanton money, not unless they believe he’s the future of the position.

dany

Orlovsky wont return to Detroit. I’d take him over Landry, so long as he doesn’t go out of the back of the endzone

Reggie Cunningham

The team and some fans are in the friend zone. This guy sucks. I rather roll the dice on V. Young lol before Jones. I want Hoyer or Fitzpatrick

mem359

Saying he didn’t play well against KC and NE is not a strong argument. Playing poorly against some of the best teams in the league can happen to good players as well as bad.

NE was the best team in the league this year (and #1 in scoring defense). After that Steelers’ game last year, KC won 9 straight, and has gone 22-4 in the regular season.

Steeler Fanatic

So, you give him a pass because they are good teams? He didn’t play well in either game. He threw a key red zone pick and didn’t have command of a two minute offense against tge Pats. He would have lost to the Browns if they weren’t so inept. He’s not good enough to challenge for the number one job, so why does he hold so much value?

mem359

1) I’m saying that if you use “did not play well against 2 of the best teams in the league” as an argument, then there would be a lot of all-pro level “bad” players out there. I am suggesting that you need to use a different argument to really convince people of LJ’s ineptitude.

2) The game against the Browns, he was missing a bunch of top starters, and I’m guessing that players were told not to risk injury (play a little more controlled). The difference between the best and the worst is not as great as it might seem. (We’ve seen Pats teams fold to weak Dolphins and Bills in past years.) Hard to judge his performance under those circumstances. (If he played the same way mid-season, then I’d agree with you.)

3) No, he is not good enough to challenge for the #1 spot. But if he was, he’d be getting $10+ million/year. When people complain that there are better back-ups out there, most of those players *were* competing for the starter spot, and were getting paid at almost starter level.

The value comes from him being good enough for a few plays (or a game or two) per season, and can be retained cheaply. If you think that the Steelers should pay Bell/Brown money in order to upgrade the backup QB position, then you are right that LJ isn’t the answer.